Flames Meaning

Bile burned my throat as Jade let out a coquettish little laugh at something Nathan said. The sound cut through me like shattered glass. Last night I had lain naked in his arms, utterly his, believing the rest of our lives would be that perfect. And now...now I was nothing. With terrible comprehension, I finally found my voice. "Nathan, what is this? Who is she?" Though I already knew the horrible truth. Jade turned her doe eyes toward me. "Oh, you must be Terra," she said gently. "I know this is very sudden. But Nathan and I are mates." She looked back at Nathan meaningfully. "Bonded by the goddess." I stared at Nathan pleadingly. "Tell me this isn't true. Please." He met my gaze despairingly. "Terra...I'm so sorry." Jade pressed herself possessively against Nathan's side. He did not resist. "I know this may be difficult for you, Terra. But you must see now that you and Nathan were never truly meant to be." Brittany said with false sympathy.

BLURB He scarred me. Betrayed me. Took everything I had, the only thing I lived for. MY SON. I was his Luna, his mate, his wife and all for what? Because of an unplanned one night stand? Holding onto that, he tore my world apart. Divorcing me when his childhood sweetheart returned was something I could bear, but he crossed the line when he retracted the funds for our son’s treatment. Gave it to his mistress instead. My baby died because of him and he didn’t even care. They thought I’d break. They thought I’d disappear quietly. But I survived. Now, I’m back. Not as the fragile Luna he discarded, but as something far more dangerous. I’ve rebuilt myself, scar by scar. And I’ve come to collect every debt, starting with the blood of the man who destroyed me. He thinks I’m still the woman who wanted him to be there for our son. He’s about to meet the woman who’s here to end him and even worse, I'm now with a man. One willing to burn the world down for my sake. I was his Luna. Now, I’m his reckoning.

When my husband, Matteo Romano, comes over to pick me up so that we can attend an auction on our wedding anniversary, I spot a woman sitting in the front passenger seat of his car. "This is Sofia Bianchi, the one I've been telling you about. She's still very young, so you must take good care of her." So, this is the woman, huh? The same woman who's been making waves in my family, and also the one my subordinates have warned me to watch out for, hmm? Sofia is clad in a simple white dress that makes her look pure and innocent. The way she acts delicate yet prideful gives me a weird feeling. She casts me an aggrieved look while biting her bottom lip. Reluctantly, she says to me, "Hello, Mrs. Romano." I reply kindly, "Hello!" At the same time, I open the car's back door. "By the way, your seat's at the back."

My Don husband, just to indulge his little mistress's fantasy of playing Don's wife, pretended to have lost his memory at sea and tried to push me out of the family. By chance, I overheard his mistress teasing him: "Can I borrow Don's wife for a few days? And… Can I borrow the Don too?" My husband, all smiles and indulgence, replied, "Of course. Both are yours for a few days." I froze for a moment, then turned away, pretending it did not bother me. The next day, at the family meeting, he announced that his mistress was then his wife, ordered me out of the family business, and demanded I hand over every ounce of authority I held. The elders all turned to me, silently hoping I would defy his ridiculous decree. I said nothing. I handed over the keys and authority without a word. However, he did not know that our next arms deal was just nine days away, and the other party was Amestia's most powerful mafia, the Romano family. They dealt with no one but me.

Everyone has gathered around to play games together. The current game requires all players to transfer red wine to each other via our mouths. Before my fiance, Teodoro Lamperti, is able to transfer the wine to me, his female best friend, Cristina Ghedini, shoves me away before kissing him on the mouth right away. "What are you doing? Today is Serafina's big day, you know!" Teodoro might be complaining on the outside, yet he's patting Cristina gently on the back. The atmosphere in the villa becomes eerily silent. Everyone stares at me as I sit on the floor in a wretched manner. Cristina merely smiles nonchalantly. Then, she leans against Teodoro's shoulder. "Don't be so petty, Serafina. Teodor and I are as thick as thieves since we were kids. We're used to sharing everything together." Teodoro begins advising me as well. "It's just a game, Serafina. You've always been gracious, haven't you? Don't act like a sore loser." Everyone thinks that I'll explode into rage and flip the table of food over, like I had done in the past. But this time, I just draw to my feet and take off the engagement ring. Then, I slide it onto Cristina's finger. "This ring is yours now. Congratulations on your marriage. Remember to invite me to your wedding."

In a world where werewolf packs rule, Arianna Nor's life is shattered when she discovers her mate, Logan Silverstone, cheating on her with her own cousin just days before their wedding. Defying pack tradition, Arianna boldly rejects Logan and exposes his infidelity to the entire pack. But her courage comes at a steep price. The Alpha's son and future leader, Logan, reveals his true feelings - he never wanted Arianna as his mate due to her weight . Humiliated and heartbroken, Arianna faces the wrath of the pack, suffering a brutal public whipping and banishment from the Red Oak Pack for four long years. Will Arianna find the strength to overcome her pain and reclaim her rightful place, or will the wounds of her past forever define her future?

In my previous life, I was adopted by a regular family. My younger sister, Regina Capasso, was taken in by a mafia Don, resulting in her becoming the principessa of Etalia's most powerful mafia family. Unexpectedly, Regina is cast out by the Don in her third year of getting adopted. She was forced to roam the streets as a homeless person till the day she died a terrible death. I, on the other hand, got into a prestigious university thanks to my good grades. Then, I furthered my studies with my adoptive older brother, Dario Bivona. With hard work, I eventually became the rising star of the AI industry who was sought out by all. With my adoptive parents' blessings, Dario and I ended up getting married and having our own children. My life was filled with peace and happiness. After we're given a second chance at the same life, Regina makes an entirely different decision. She rushes into Dario's arms and starts calling him by his name sweetly. Then, she takes my ex-parents' hands while gazing at me gloatingly. "You should have a taste of what it feels like to be a principessa, Livia. I seriously can't endure another second in that cruel, unforgiving family!" I look at Dario expectantly, hoping that he'll say something in my defense. But he shields Regina behind him while glaring at me icily. "Stay away from my sister." In the end, I slowly make my way toward the Rolls-Royce as Regina continues to look at me smugly.

I woke in the middle of the night to my Don husband murmuring in his sleep. “Juno, be good. Tomorrow I’ll buy you and Mamma a new house.” My eyes flew open. Juno? That was the name I’d always planned for a purebred Ceylon cat I dreamed of owning, but I’d never gotten one because of my pet fur allergy. And a new house? Could this just be a coincidence? I shook him lightly. “What did you just say?” He frowned and mumbled coarsely, “Had a nightmare. Dreamt of a shootout.” I didn’t press further. In the darkness, I reached for his phone and silently opened his messages.

Donna Sofia Marino's birthday is held on Valentine's Day. When Francesco Rossi, the Underboss of the Costa family, announces the news on behalf of Don Enzo Costa, everyone in the family is very happy. Well, everyone but me. As expected, Francesco is quick to add, "Someone needs to guard the headquarters. Camilla, you'll be the one in charge of this task." "What the Underboss means is that you don't really carry out any missions in your daily life. Besides, you have tons of spare time anyway. This time, you are to guard the headquarters so that you can deal with any emergencies that might arise." I just smirk sarcastically. The truth is, I'm always the one dealing with the most dangerous matters concerning the Costa family. The transactions of the firearms worth hundreds of millions of dollars are successfully carried out thanks to the plan I've spent countless sleepless nights perfecting. When a crossfire breaks out, I'm always on the frontlines, fighting for the family's glory despite getting injured. While I'm given the title as the executive director, I'm never given any actual power. In truth, my standing is lower than that of a soldato. I'm always the one carrying out the hardest, the most menial, not to mention the most dangerous tasks. But every time credit is given, it's never given to me. I've been enduring this injustice for five long years. This time, I no longer want to keep enduring anymore. With a smile on my face, I stand up from my seat. "Alright then, Underboss Rossi. I shall guard the headquarters. But this will be the last time I ever do this. After this task is completed, I will officially leave the Costa family once and for all."

At the family meeting, my mafia Don husband spared his secretary one glance. I turned and walked away, canceled our wedding anniversary celebration, and decided I was done with him. I signed my name on the divorce papers I had prepared long ago. When Matteo Santoro saw the agreement, he called me at once, his voice tight with restrained anger. "What are you trying to pull this time? Is this really because I looked at Elena?" "Yes," I said. "Because you looked at her."